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Mick Napier - Improvise

Jun 04, 2018

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    Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................31 What Is Improvisation!.........................................................................................................................................................42 Rules.....................................................................................................................................................................................5

    The History of The Rules....................................................................................................................................................5ear ear ear......................................................................................................................................................................"rea#in$ The Rules.............................................................................................................................................................%

    3 Ho& to Improvise...............................................................................................................................................................1'(art )ne* +o ,omethin$!..................................................................................................................................................1'(art T&o* -hec# )ut What ou +id................................................................................................................................14(art Three* Hold on to What ou +id...............................................................................................................................15The /a$ic of Improvisation..............................................................................................................................................10

    4 What out /y (artner!.................................................................................................................................................1Ta#e -are of ourself irst...............................................................................................................................................1Ta#e -are of our (artner................................................................................................................................................1istenin$ to our (artner..................................................................................................................................................1What If I m the (artner6.................................................................................................................................................1

    5 -onte7t and ,cenes.............................................................................................................................................................21-onte7t..............................................................................................................................................................................21,cenes................................................................................................................................................................................22

    0 -ommon (rolems.............................................................................................................................................................20Too /uch 87position........................................................................................................................................................20Tal#in$ Too /uch.............................................................................................................................................................209ustifyin$...........................................................................................................................................................................2(ausin$..............................................................................................................................................................................2%"ailin$ on a (oint of :ie&................................................................................................................................................2%

    /ore Than T&o (eople in a ,cene.....................................................................................................................................31Three;(erson ,cenes.........................................................................................................................................................318nterin$ ,cenes.................................................................................................................................................................32our;< ive;< ,i7;< and T&enty;(erson ,cenes..................................................................................................................35

    dvanced Improvisation....................................................................................................................................................3)pposite -hoices...............................................................................................................................................................3,pecificity..........................................................................................................................................................................3%

    (ull )ut=(ull "ac# In.........................................................................................................................................................3%-urve "alls........................................................................................................................................................................4'Reachin$ for an )>ect......................................................................................................................................................41(ersonal )>ects and /annerisms.....................................................................................................................................42(ersonal :ariety of 8ner$y...............................................................................................................................................43

    % dvice and ?uidelines for Improvisers..............................................................................................................................40Talent.................................................................................................................................................................................40The -oncept of Trainin$...................................................................................................................................................40/en and Women...............................................................................................................................................................40The (erfect ctor..............................................................................................................................................................4uditionin$ ?uidelines for Improvisers............................................................................................................................5'-ommon (atterns..............................................................................................................................................................52,ummary............................................................................................................................................................................53

    1' Improvisation and he ,econd a& of Thermodynamics..................................................................................................54irst a& of Thermodynamics..........................................................................................................................................54The ,econd a& of Thermodynamics...............................................................................................................................55The Thermodynamics of Improv.......................................................................................................................................50

    11 87ercises to +o at Home..................................................................................................................................................5+ada /onolo$ue...............................................................................................................................................................5Word ssociation..............................................................................................................................................................5?ierish...........................................................................................................................................................................5,olo -haracter ,&itches....................................................................................................................................................5%-haracter Intervie&...........................................................................................................................................................5%,tyles and ?enres in a Hat.................................................................................................................................................5%,ound to +ialo$ue.............................................................................................................................................................0'8nvironment......................................................................................................................................................................0'"ody (arts.........................................................................................................................................................................0'"rea#fast............................................................................................................................................................................0')>ect /onolo$ue.............................................................................................................................................................01,cene..................................................................................................................................................................................01

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    ,cene &ith 8motional ,hift...............................................................................................................................................01,cenes of ,tatus ,hift........................................................................................................................................................02Hei$htenin$.......................................................................................................................................................................02Read a -haracter from a (lay )ut oud...........................................................................................................................02ilm +ialo$ue...................................................................................................................................................................03Write an Improvised ,cene...............................................................................................................................................03

    ,on$s.................................................................................................................................................................................03-ountin$ to )ne Hundred.................................................................................................................................................04+ance.................................................................................................................................................................................04

    @otes on ?ood ctin$.......................................................................................................................................................04@on;iction ,ummary.......................................................................................................................................................0487ercise.............................................................................................................................................................................05

    12 nnoyance........................................................................................................................................................................00

    2

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    IntroductionIt As stran$e that IAm &ritin$ this oo#. I &asnAt supposed to. ,ince I &as a #id< IAve loved math and the

    sciences. rom the time I &as in second $rade I al&ays #ne& I &ould e a veterinarian. If your do$ is sic#< >ustcall /ic#ust memoriCed thelines and #ind of moved aout &herever they &antedBI didnAt #no& it &as practiced that much. DWhile I &asin hi$h school< you didnAt $o to rehearsalE you &ent to play practice.F

    I decided that I &anted to have a $o at this thin$< so I auditioned. /y first role &as ?rumio< in TheTaming of the Shrew. I &ent on to do several more plays in hi$h school< and arrived at Indiana Gniversity &ith astron$ desire to e a veterinarian and a conflictin$ desire to e on sta$e. It didnAt ta#e that lon$ to discover thatthe latter &ould &in my heart. I e$an auditionin$ and performin$ in play after play< and eventually s&itchedmy study to theater. I did indeed love the rush of performin$.

    ,oon< thou$h< I ecame a little ored. @ot &ith the performin$< ut &ith the rehearsin$. I felt li#e the

    rehearsals &ere the same thin$ over and over. I &as pretty selfish ac# thenE I &anted the feelin$ I $ot &hen Iperformed &ithout the repetitious &or# of the rehearsals. (erformin$ &ithout rehearsals< &as there such a thin$6

    ThatAs &hen I pic#ed up a oo# called Something Wonderful Right Away, y 9effrey ,&eet. It &as acollection of intervie&s of people involved in somethin$ called improvisation. s the title states< you couldcreate somethin$ &onderful ri$ht a&ay. To me< that meant all the fun &ithout the rehearsin$. friend of mineust #ind of making it up as we went along.,o many years later< here I sit. IAm not a veterinarian< althou$h my love for math and science remains

    to this day. I thin# you mi$ht notice that in this oo#. Ironically< as a director< I no& value the theater andrehearsin$ more than ever. ThereAs certainly value in somethin$ &onderful ri$ht a&ay< and an eual yet differentvalue to somethin$ &onderful not ri$ht a&ay.

    This oo# is for those that have a desire to improvise scenes etter. I truly hope it helps.If your scene is sic# ...

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    1 What Is Improvisation!

    What the hell is improvisation6

    ,hall I ta#e the lon$ road or the short road6

    IAll ta#e the short oneB&ho has time6

    Improvisation is getting on a stage and making stuff up as you go along.

    ThatAs it.ou didnAt #no& &hat you &ere $oin$ to say or do and no& you find yourself movin$ aout and

    tal#in$ &ithout any real #no&led$e of &hat you are $oin$ to do ne7t. maCin$ly simple< astoundin$lydifficult B for adults.

    Improvisation is used around the $loe as a means to &rite material< a tool in trainin$ actors< and asa performance product in and of itself. Improv troupes around the &orld force reasonaly nice people to pay tosee the latter. It is for those people that I &rite this oo#.

    Improv comes in the shape of $ames D&hich I &onAt discuss laterF< scenes< lon$ forms< monolo$uesects released from the top of uildin$s and o>ects that fall to the $round< ut the uildin$s do notcause the o>ect to fall< $ravity does. D)r &arped space if you ta#e a relativistic vie&.F

    )ne mi$ht notice that &hen the sales of icycles increase< so does the numer of oatin$ accidents.+oes ridin$ icycles cause oatin$ accidents6 @o< thereAs a third variale that causes oth. ItAs called summer.

    ,omethin$ else causes orin$ scenes< ut often orin$ scenes sho& up &ith the ehavior thateventually shaped The Rules of improvisation.

    D,o &hat causes a ad improv scene6 ThatAs for later.FThe ironic thin$ aout all of this is that the literal ad moves noticed in ad scenes sho& up nearly as

    often in &onderful scenes. D,cenes &ith &onder* I &onder &hy they &or#6FThat is to say< in $reat scenes there are many uestions and players tellin$ stories of the past and

    &hatnot< ut they $o lar$ely unnoticed. (eople are usually too usy lau$hin$ or ein$ in a&e to notice suchthin$s* >ust havinA fun< you #no&. 8very once in a &hile a uestion or the &ord no is cau$ht y someone&atchin$ a $ood scene< and itAs chal#ed up as an e7ception< &ith little further e7planation.

    /aye someday youAll e $ood enou$h to rea# a rule and e an e7ception./aye this afternoon.

    @o& for even more fun.@ot only do I elieve that the aforementioned ehavior Dthat &hich does not adhere to The RulesF

    does not cause ad scenes< I do elieve that the teachin$ of ehavior that adheres to The Rules can cause adscenes. /y hypothesis &ould read*

    $earning rules !an !ause ad improvisation.

    Why< &hy6

    "ecause the &orst part aout rules is that people rememer them. )ften aove and eyond anythin$ else.It satisfies and stimulates the left rain. )h< for a list. There they are< all numered and listed. I can rememerthat. I &ill rememer that. I &ill rememer The Rules of improvisation. Ho& could I not6 fter all< they areThe Rules. They stic# to the rain li#e $lue. They help you thin# aout stuff. Why< you canAt help ut thin#aout The Rules. TheyAre all memoriCed in your head. TheyAre in your head. D87cuse me< ho& do I $et Aout ofmy headA6F The Rules< The Rules* $ot Aem all6 Thin# aout them< Acause you donAt &ant to rea# one< thin#lon$ and hardB

    "ow improvise, play%

    ?ood luc#.es. ThatAs &hy IAm not a i$ fan of The Rules. They help people thin# in a particular &ay< and that &ay

    of thin#in$ is often death to $ood improvisation. IAve &atched those damn Rules scre& people up for years< and I

    donAt mean that for years< IAve seen The Rules scre& people up. Individuals &ho can thin# of nothin$ else onsta$e ut The Rules< &anderin$ around po&erlessly for years< thin#in$ and measurin$ and ein$ very carefulnot to rea# The Rules< all the &hile &onderin$ &hy they are not improvin$. Improvisin$.

    eft rain analytical heaven. @ot very much fun.@ot much fun to e on sta$e &antin$ to do somethin$< all the &hile thin#in$ aout not doin$

    somethin$< such as as#in$ a uestion. @o $ood time in &antin$ to listen to your partner &hile thin#in$aout not teachin$ her. ittle po&er in &antin$ to rea# out &ith a &ild character and not uite doin$ so ecauseyouAre thin#in$ aout not tal#in$ aout an event in the future.

    WhatAs more< IAve seen hundreds of scenes that donAt violate any of The Rules of improvisation that ma#eme yearn for naptime. What the . . . 6 ,cenes that en$a$e in all of The Rules of improvisation and the scenes arestill orin$ as hell6

    )h yeah< elieve you me*

    &roper e'e!ution of The Rules in an improv s!ene does not ne!essarily yield a good improv s!ene.

    urthermoreust created your characterAs road map to the scene. ThatAs &here it lies. The move you >ustmade. In &hat you >ust did. ThatAs &here the deal is for you and your character. The very first thin$ you said or didfrom your characterAs point of vie& lies in that moment< and IAm as#in$ you to ta#e one half second to merely chec#out &hat that &as. What did you literally >ust create6 )h that< very &ell.

    lot of improvisers create somethin$ at the top of the scene and have no idea &hat the hell they >ust

    created. IAve seen it so many times and so have you.n improviser &ill say somethin$ at the top of a scene< the very first line< and $et a lau$h. fter thelau$h susides< that improviser says somethin$ else. The second line lies flat. ItAs disappointin$ to the audienceand ?od. In fact itAs almost an$er;invo#in$< ecause itAs ovious from the improviserAs second line that hedidnAt $et the deal ehind his first lineE that is< he didnAt #no& &hat he &as doin$.

    iterally< such improvisers do not #no&;&hat;they;are;do;in$.-reate oldly in the first moment< then chec# out &hatAs up.?ood improvisers do this &ithout even realiCin$ it sometimes. It's automatic. /a#e an intuitive self;

    appraisal that has nothin$ to do &ith &orryin$ or &onderin$ &hat is $oin$ to happen ne7t. /erely that you didsomethin$ and &hat it &as.

    @otice there is no why in that statement.Who cares &hy you did somethin$6 /ost of the time in improvisation as#in$ Dor ans&erin$F &hy you

    did or said a particular thin$ is a form of >ud$ment and measurement that &ill $et you in your head. ItAs onlyimportant that you did it.

    Ho& aout howl es< yes.4ow is everythin$ in improvisation. Ho& people do somethin$ in improvisation is most of the reason

    people lau$h at improvisation. The line ?oat is $ood eatinA may or may not e funny in and of itself. "ut didyou say it as a southerner< someone ored< someone &ho stutters< someone &hoAs scared< someone &ho >umpsevery time ay a sentence< someone &ith a nervous tic6 Ho&< ho&< ho&6

    Words are of little impact &hen not filtered throu$h the how. The ho& comprises everythin$ fromemotion to state of ein$ to character to character attriute to intonation to physical score to point ofvie&. The ho& is your deal in the scene< the ma$ical road map for the character< created instantaneouslyust has to e.Well it is< I $uess< ut in my opinion merely listenin$ has little value. ou have to #no& how to listen. Why

    do &e listen6 Is it to e polite6When I &as told to listen in an improv scene I >ust had to as# myself &hy. The ans&er seems ovious

    at first< ut is it6 Why is >ust listenin$ important6 I &asnAt sure< ut &hat I &as sure aout &as merely ein$told to listen &asnAt very helpful to me in improvisation. It &as very passive and $ot me in my head. Icertainly learned to shut up and listen to my partner< and I $uess it &as nole< ut it rendered me passive andmotionless on sta$e. It &as another opportunity to thin#< to $et in my head. istenin$ didnAt help me at first.

    fter a &hile< after I learned for myself to create a character or point of vie& to arm myself in a sceneust doin$ somethin$ at the top of the scene and ma#in$ a stron$ initiation

    ri$ht off the top &ithout thin#in$ and catchin$ up &ith it later. "ut &hat if someone eats me to it6 Half thetime that &ill happen. Ho& do I respond and #eep my o&n thin$ to$ether in the scene6

    Well< itAs damn near the same thin$ as initiatin$ the scene in the first place< &ith a couple more tools tooot.

    If your partner initiates the scene< presumaly &ith &ords< efore you do< do this*irst of all< protect yourself in the scene even thou$h you say no &ords. 8ven thou$h you donAt initiateust in improvisation< ut in everythin$. etAs ta#e a i$ loo# at conte7t.

    Conte+t

    -onte7t is everythin$ in everythin$. What theB6

    It is the frame for all $reat &or#s and the unspo#en credo of everyday livin$. et me e7plain.Human ein$s cannot function unless they are provided conte7t for livin$. Human ein$s cannot oserveunless provided conte7t. Human ein$s cannot en>oy unless provided conte7t. ll of life has many conte7ts.ll $ood movies< oo#s< plays< or son$s have conte7t. ll $ood improvisation has conte7t. n a$reed;upon roadmap for livin$. -onte7t affects all thin$s.

    m I i$ on conte7t6ou et.-onte7t allo&s a human ein$ to #no& &hat to e7pect. It is necessary in life and in a scene. In lifeo$ust around the corner. ,he &as previously hidden y part of the

    uildin$ ut no& she is e7posed asyou enter the street. The &oman is cryin$ and an$ry. h;ha< not a craCy $uy.ItAs a $uy yellin$ at his &ife or $irlfriend and they are &earin$ s&eat pants ecause they &ere oth out on a >o$.The conte7t shifts< and so do you. Ta#e the same $uy screamin$< ta#e a&ay the &oman< and put the $uy onsta$e. @o& you have a rantin$ monolo$ue. -onte7t truly is everythin$. -onte7t truly chan$es everythin$.

    What are people &earin$ to the party61A is an attempt to adhere to an appropriate social conte7t. oudonAt &ant to loo# out of place. ,hould &e rin$ a ottle of &ine to the dinner6 is not so much as#in$ outof your intense desire to rin$ a ottle of &ine< as it is to e socially appropriate in the dinner invitation

    conte7t.In the office conte7t< you &ear office attire< e7cept perhaps on riday. In the riday conte7t< you dressa it more casually. @ot too &ild< ut more casual. t the office Hallo&een party< youAd etter dress in acostume. In that conte7t< formal or casual usiness attire &ould e inappropriateE a costume is necessary. @otdressin$ that &ay &ould e socially incorrect< $iven the conte7t of the event.

    Humans assess conte7ts all day lon$ &ithout even thin#in$ aout it and act accordin$ly. -onte7t istheir road map for livin$.

    (eople themselves have conte7ts also< day to day< and in life in $eneral. HeAs a &hiner or ,heAsal&ays $ot somethin$ nice to say are conte7ts humans assi$n themselves or others.

    If the nicest $uy at &or# is suddenly a >er#< &e say< HeAs not himself today. HeAs actin$ out of sortsEheAs ehavin$ outside of his $eneral life conte7t. 8ven day to day< if you are as#ed< Ho& are you6 and yourespond &ith< IAm tired and I feel a little sic#ust to remain &ithin your predefined I donAt feel &ell today conte7t. ou &ill actsic# and tired all day >ust to e true to ho& you said you felt.

    @o& letAs rin$ conte7t to the realm of entertainment. Gsin$ my standy Wizard of z e7ample< &hatare some of its conte7ts6 )ne is its color. In Jansas< &e see lac# and &hite film< in )C< color. ThatAs a conte7tdeclaration for the movie that must never e violated< and it isnAt. nother conte7t is the yello& ric# road. ItAs aliteral conte7tual road map for the characters and the audience. We e7pect them to stay on it< and &hen theydonAt thereAs troule. third is desire. +orothy desires to $o home. ,he meets the ,carecro&< &ho desires a

    rain< and the Tin /an< &ho desires a heart. fter that conte7tual declaration< it &ould indeed e tra$ic if&hen +orothy meets the ion< the ion is complacent and desires nothin$. "ut &e are not disappointed< forindeed< >ust as the film declared< the ion desires coura$e. final $reat overall conte7t for The Wizard of

    z is that it &as all a dream. retroactive announcement at the end of the movie informs the audience that allthey have seen is +orothyAs dream. @othin$ violated the dream aspect in )C< and the color conte7t evenenhanced the dreamli#e uality.

    Scenes

    )#ay< $reat.nd please ?od &hat does this have to do &ith improvisin$ scenes6Well< letAs $o to scenes in improv $ames< first. $ame many #no& is reeCe Ta$< or ,&itch< as some

    call it. If you donAt #no& it< it's a staple improv $ame &here t&o people step for&ard from the $roup and start ascene. player from the $roup yells< reeCe! The t&o people in the scene freeCe in position< and the player&ho yelled 5/reezer ta$s one of the froCen players out< ta#es their e'a!tphysical position< and initiates a &holene& scene &ith a different location and characters< >ustifyin$ the froCen physical positions. The first scene ofreeCe Ta$ usually e$ins &ith the su$$estion of a line of dialo$ue provided y the audience.

    ,o &hat is the conte7t of reeCe Ta$6 ItAs ho& the $ame is played

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    para$raph. The audience is informed ho& the $ame &or#s in an introduction. @o& they #no& the conte7t< theroad map< &hat they are supposed to en>oy.

    We first say somethin$ li#e< WeAre $oin$ to improvise a $ame for you no&. Why announce that first6ou &ant to let the audience #no& that you are in the realm< the conte7t of< ma#in$ it up versus performin$somethin$ that you &rote and rehearsed. That conte7t lets the audience #no& you may e improvisationallyunfinished and rec#less. Then you e7plain the $ame. fter the audience #no&s the conte7t of the $ameBho&to play itByou $et a line from them to start the scene. Gsin$ their su$$estion ensures the conte7t ofimprovisation. While playin$ reeCe Ta$< a player doesnAt yell reeCe! and then continue the previous scene oryell reeCe! and pop in< i$nore theprevious sceneAs physical position< and e$in another scene. That &ould ein violation of the declared conte7t. DWhen players do ma#e these moves in reeCe Ta$< the audience mayreact ne$atively or seem confused ecause of the violation< as may the other players on sta$eF.

    Thin# of any $ame you can and you &ill find that it has a conte7t< and that its conte7t is usuallyannounced efore the $ame e$ins.

    Improvisation itself has conte7ts. In lon$;form improvisation you ta#e a sin$le su$$estion andimprovise for aout half an hour. We donAt violate that y ta#in$ a su$$estion and improvisin$ for t&o minutesand then ta#in$ another su$$estion. Within lon$;form improvisation there are other structured conte7ts. Wecall them new forms. Time is a conte7t to descrie the art form of improvisation. There isshort form and long

    form. D"iCarrely< itAs the only art form &hich cate$oriCes itself in len$th of time.FetAs >ourney on into the purely improvised scene.+o purely improvised scenes have conte7ts6 es< yes. 8very sin$le one of them.HereAs a sample improv scene I >ust made up. It is a man and a &oman &ith the follo&in$ dialo$ue*

    /@* I canAt &ait to $o to the irthday party.W)/@* eah< 9immy is really $onna e surprised./@* 8veryoneAs $onna e there.W)/@* I $ot him a $ift certificate from the ?ap./@* ThatAs $reat. He really deserves a party after all his hard &or#. W)/@* I couldnAt a$ree more.

    What is the conte7t of this stupid little scene6

    t this point< one mi$ht say that the conte7t is talking aout going to a party.If I &ere in this improv scene< I &ould stay in the realm of talking aout things that were aout the party. If I

    violate that< I violate the scene.

    Hmmm. ,o is the conte7t of a scene merely what people are talking aout3,ome people thin# so. ,ome people thin# that &hat improvisers are tal#in$ aout is &hat the scene is

    aout and &hat the entire conte7t is. "ut &ait< I for$ot aout the ho& of the scene. I for$ot to mention that othof them are sayin$ their lines e7tremely sarcastically and lau$h every once in a&hile.

    /@* Draisin$ an eyero&F I canAt &ait to $o to the irthday party.W)/@* Dsnic#erin$F eah< 9immy is really $onna e surprised./@* Dindicatin$ around himF 8veryoneAs $onna e there.W)/@* Dlau$hin$F I $ot him a $ift certificate from the ?ap.

    /@* DsarcasticF ThatAs $reat. He really deserves a party after all his haaaard &ooor#.W)/@* Dsi$hin$=raisin$ eyero&F I couldnAt a$ree more.

    With this information< the conte7t of the scene shifts entirely. 4ow you do something in an improvscene is vital to estalishin$ its conte7t. The conte7t is no lon$er the literal meanin$ of the &ords ein$ saidust reach your hand out.

    Where are they6 Who !aresBitAs the second line. /ore important thatthe second $uy has ta#en care ofhimself &ith the point of vie& ofstrong and !onfident. Reach his hand out &here6 Who !ares3 ItAs lo&he

    plays it that &ill $et him throu$h the scene. WhatAs their relationship6 )h< itAs a paranoid $uy and a confident$uy to$ether. The laelof their relationship is unimportant no&E it &ill proaly sho& up in a much more deftfashion later than if forced y one of them at op of the scene. Rela7.

    T)/*Dstill paranoid< ut reachin$ outF I;IAm af;f;fraid.

    ?olden. What3 ?olden ecause he retained his point of vie& and uttered. He told the audience< his

    partner< and himself that &hen e said the first line< in the &ay he said it< he literally knew what he wasdoing. He proved it &hen he did it the second time. When you do somethin$ t&ice in improvisation< youestalish a pattern.

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    "I* "oo#s donAt ite< #id. ItAs not a $ator!

    This $uy estalished a pattern< too. pattern of mentorin$ and confidence. These t&o are ri$ht ontrac#.

    T)/* ";"ut thereAs people ar;r;round."I* )f course thereAs people in a lirary< no& $ra the damn oo#!

    DTom is doin$ fineE his &ords are filtered throu$h the paranoia and stutterin$. "ill decides to clarifythe location. ine< ut &hatAs more important is that he continues to play his $ruff confidence. We really #no&heAs o#ay in the scene &hen he demands< @o& $ra the damn oo#! ecause he restores his earlier demand inthe scene.

    T)/* ";"ut +;+ad< I..."I* @)son of mine is $oin$ to e scared of a little learnin$< no& pic# it up!

    Tom estalishes himself as the son< roadenin$ the conte7t to include the lael of the relationship.@o& he can filter ein$ in a father=son relationship throu$h the more important overall conte7t< his paranoiaand fear. "ill played a $reat response. He used TomAs lael of ather=,on to interrupt Tom D&hich is &hat "illAscharacter &ould doF and further demand somethin$ of him &ith stern confidence. The conte7t of this scene isintact and it has roadened. ItAs not aout the literal &ords anymore. These characters can say nearly anythin$as lon$ as they retain their respective dispositions.

    T)/* Dhesitantly pic#s a oo# and loo#s at the titleFH;Ho& to -;-;-;-ommand uthor;r;r;ity."I* Dscreamin$ uic#lyFRead it now%

    ,till on trac#< these t&o. Tom #no&s that in improv< even if you have a ne$ative disposition aoutsomethin$< itAs proaly etter todo the thin$ as#ed of you and keep your ne$ative opinion aout doin$ it. It

    >ust propels the scene. Dn e7ception to this &ould e a character &hose declared conte7t at the top of thescene is that he &ill not do thin$s.F TomAs choice for title of the oo# &as not a random reference. It &asentirely in line &ith his paranoid conte7t. $ood choice< the title su$$ests the e7act opposite of his capailities.The title &as surprisin$ from &ithin the conte7t of the scene. "ill surprised us &ith his e7treme volume andaruptness. We #ne& him to e confident and $ruff< ut he startled us &ith >ust ho& much he &as so.

    ,o at this point in this scene< &hat are these t&o improvisers thin#in$6 I &ould ima$ine that they areo.

    ,ome improvisers love to provide ul#y e7position at the topof a scene. They thin# they need the

    safety of that construct to improvise the scene. lot of this comes from ein$ told at some point toestalish the who, what, and where in the first three lines of the scene. @o&adays< that fashion ofe7position reads really stale to an audience and puts an unneeded urden on the scene. The audience#no&s that people donAt tal# li#e that< and it is disconcertin$ to them.

    If it is asolutely important to you to have e7position at the top of an improv scene< dole it out$racefully< a little at a time. If< ho&ever< you ma#e attac#in$ the scene &ith a po&erful declaration moreimportant< you &ill find that the e7position you do provide &ill e ac#ed up &ith a more sustantial point ofvie& and &ill e more deftly placed in the scene. It &ill e comin$ from a more po&erful and or$anic place.

    Talking Too $uch

    This is a prolem I have< so IAm very a&are of it. ItAs the I &ill #eep tal#in$ until 1 find somethin$ that

    &or#s thin$. ItAs easy to fi7 once youAre a&are of it.uite often improvisers &ith this prolem suconsciously use the &ords I mean to allo& themselves

    to #eep tal#in$.

    I/(R):I,8R* I >ust donAt thin# you should visit your rother< I mean< every time you visit himsomethin$ ad happens< I mean< you rememer the last time you visited him< I mean< &hen he started callin$you names< I mean< I thin# you should >ust stay home.

    When the &ords I mean sho& up often< it usually means that improvisers are searchin$ for &hatthey mean. They #eep tal#in$ untilthey find it.

    HereAs ho& to find out if you tal# too much &hen you improvise. /a#e a conscious choice< in a class oron sta$e< to say one short sentence at a time. -hoose that conte7t for yourself ahead of time. If< &hen you are

    improvisin$ in that conte7t< you have a need to tal# more. or if you feel stifled y >ust sayin$ a shortsentence< thereAs a $ood chance that youAve unconsciously conditioned yourself to tal# morethan you need to.

    If you discover that you are one of these improvisers< practice improvisin$ one sentence and notspea#in$ until your partner responds. (ut a period after your sentences and then shut the hell up. ou &illsolve your prolem uic#ly if you do this a fe& times. Then you &ill notice that &hen you do tal# more< it is

    ecause of a choice and not a conseuence of havin$ conditioned yourself to #eep tal#in$.It is interestin$ that people donAt really #no& they are tal#in$ too much. TheyAre too usy tal#in$ to

    realiCe ho& much they are tal#in$. h< that I could $ive the $ift of potential ener$y to improvisers &ho havemultitudes of #inetic ener$y.

    Ima$ine the aove e7ample this &ay*

    I >ust donAt thin# you should visit your rother.

    4old.

    4old.

    4old.

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    /eel the power.

    4old.

    Wait.

    Strong.

    4old.

    (otential ener$y. +onAt let the air out of creation y tal#in$ so much.

    -ustifying

    9ustifyin$ $oes hand in hand &ith the aove t&o e7amples. "e$innin$ improvisers do it all thetime. What is it6 It is &hen you ma#e an initiation and then >ustify why you said or did that initiation. ou door say somethin$ and then soon after e7plain &hy you did that. ItAs tric#y and su>ective.

    latant e7ample of >ustifyin$*

    -)(* That street lamp is out.-)("* eah< &hatever.-)(* Well< itAs really dar#.-)("* ,)&hat6-)(* ItAs >ust &eird< I mean< every time &e &al# the eat to$ether you act indifferent to me. I . . .

    The last line is the >ustification< and li#e everythin$< &hether or not itAs a prolem depends on ho& itAssaid and &hen it is said. I &ould ima$ine in this e7ample< the >ustification is a conseuence of fear on the partof the improviser playin$ -op . In this case< he &i$$ed out at the indifference of the second improviserAscharacter and resorted to ma#in$ an assessment of the scene. irst &ith< ItAs >ust &eird

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    myself eitherF< therefore I am $oin$ to accuse you of ein$ craCy. IAm $oin$ to >ustify your ehavior< e7plain &hyyou are ehavin$ that &ay. ou must e craCy. It happens a lot.

    ItAs ironic ecause in improvisation &e hope for craCy. We &ant elevated theatrical asurd ehaviorE &e>ust donAt &ant it called out.

    ItAs sometimes difficult to determine &hether you >ustify &hen you improvise< ut here is a clue tohelp you out.

    If you are improvisin$< and around the third eat you notice that you say a lon$ sentence and then feela little &eird< thereAs a $ood chance that &as the >ustification. If it then feels #inda fa#e to $et ac# into thescene< thereAs a $reater chance it &as one. DIma$ine tryin$ to resume WhoAs on irst6 after havin$ calledout that someone is mista#in$ aseall playersA names for pronouns.F

    If youAve noticed that you do that< youAve achieved the first step in rectifyin$ >ustifyin$. @o&< the ne7ttime you improvise you &ill #no& itAs li#ely that a >ustification mi$ht come up in the second or thirde7chan$e. When you feel it comin$ DdonAt &orry< you &ill feel itF do anythin$ ut lurt that line out. I rarely tellsomeone not to do somethin$< ut itAs aout the only &ay to $et throu$h this improvisa;tional loc#. Instead ofsayin$ that line< hold it ac# in silence< even if it ta#es four seconds of near stutterin$. Then thin# of your lastline the last line you said< and restate. ,ay it a$ain in a sli$htly different &ay. This tric# &ill train you not onlyto not >ustify< ut also to holdon to the po&er of your first declaration< your point of vie&. ,o< in the cop e7ample*

    -)(* That street lamp is out.-)("* eah< &hatever.-)(* Well< itAs really dar#.-)("* ,)&hat6D(ause. Han$ on.F-)(* ItAs so dar#< I canAt even see.

    The first time you do this you &ill feel the value< and >ustification &ill leave your improvisation soonafter.

    There are a sle& of &ords and phrases in >ustification land that I have noticed throu$hout the years. Inmany of the follo&in$ cases< if the lines &ere said &ith any stron$ deal ehind them< they &ould e perfectly

    fine. I have noticed< ho&ever< that ninety;nine percent of the time< they are said &ith nothin$ ehind them andin a #ind of pleadin$< &ea# cadence.

    Here are some of the more common e7amples.

    First DayThis is my first day of ein$ a mechanic< &hat do you do6

    irst day at the an#< first day at the racetrac#< first day of colle$e< all e7plain why the ehavior thatfollo&s &ill e incompetent and uninformed. ItAs an apolo$y even efore the scene starts.

    First TimeThis is my first time in a hot air alloon

    ,ame asfirst day, first time descries &hy I &ill e confused or incompetent.

    Every Time elYou8very time &e come to the par#< you fi$ht &ith me.

    Gsually offered as the second or third e7chan$e in a scene.

    I ove"I #ateI love &or#in$ in a factory.

    or

    I hate ice cream.

    This line is usually spo#en ri$ht out of the $ate< after a moment of confused silence< and is a desperateattempt to >ustify a su$$estion y an audience. It also often sounds sophomoric< almost child or caveman;li#e.

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    This Is The Best $$$$$ EverThis is the est ?roundho$ +ay ever.

    Gsually spo#en in the middle of a trouled scene and used in order to >ustify half;hearted $ood;feelin$ prior ehavior.

    Is Funlyin$ #ites is tun.

    Thin$s that are confusin$ to improvisers often ecome fun for them.It is almost a plea for the audience to have fun &hile they are &atchin$ the improviser not have fun

    sayin$ somethin$ is fun.isten.Ra#in$ leaves is fun! D,aid &ith no character and little emotion other than the improviserAs

    desperate attempt to act li#e he=she is havin$ fun.FWor#in$ in a factory is fun! D,aid after a lon$ silence that follo&s the su$$estion of actory! as a

    location.Flyin$ #ites is fun!@o. It really isnAt.What IAm hopin$ you don)t read into my spe&in$ aout >ustification is that youAd etter not say the

    &ords and phrases IAve listed aove. What I do hope you $et is that these &ords and phrases are myoservations of the patterns created throu$h >ustifyin$ in improvisation. "y ein$ on the loo#out for them&hen you improvise or oserve improvisation< you &ill learn to avoid them.

    Pausing

    T&o improvisers &ho havenAt ta#en care of themselves at the top of the scene &ill often $et into ameasured< pause efore you say a line #ind of scene &ith the follo&in$ pace*

    I/(R):I,8R* WhatAs up6 Dpause< pause< pause< pause< t&o< three< fourFI/(R):I,8R"* @ot much. D(ause< pause< pause< pause< t&o< three< fourFI/(R):I,8R* ,o . . . D(ause< pause< pause< pause< t&o< three< fourF

    This $oes on forever. The funny Dut unfortunately notF thin$ aout it is that most of the time theimprovisers are not even a&are of the tremendous silence et&een their lines. ThatAs ecause they are thinkingso hard.

    ,o hard.Thin#in$ aout &hat to do and say and &hat not to say and do andByou #no&.If you find yourself in this mode< or are fortunate enou$h to have someone tell you< or if you >ust

    notice that your scenes are unfunny and dra$ on a lot< then do this*/a#e a $ame out of not lettin$ yourself have any pauses &hen you improvise.Jno&< $oin$ into class or rehearsal or a sho&< that in your scene you &ill ma#e a $ame out of

    respondin$ immediately after your partner has said a line. This $ame &ill thro& you out of your head in a $ood&ay and remind you that it is more important that you say somethin$ no& than what you say.

    Rememer that the $ood scenes you have done< the scenes that &ere ma$ical< proaly didnAt have apause uality $oin$ onE rather< they had a feelin$ of rapid fire< even if they &ere slo& scenes.

    Is this to say that I should never have pauses et&een any of my lines< then6@o< a$ain. If a po&erful improviser ma#es a choice of pausin$ efore lines at the top or very near

    the top of a scene< then that ecomes that improviserAs deal and itAs fine. ItAs pauses as a conseuence of fearect or a mannerism for themselves in the scene.8arlier< in the section aout specificity< I mentioned the value of an o>ect for a character in re$ard to

    the content of the scene and &hat it is aout. I &ould li#e to elaorate no& on the value of the o>ect ormannerism to $ive your character more sustance< elievaility< and inte$rity.

    Ima$ine a scene &here an e7ecutive is standin$< &aitin$ for an elevator< tal#in$ to an employee aouthis marria$e. The scene is $ood or not< &ho cares. @o&< ima$ine that &hile this conversation is $oin$ on< thee7ec has his hand out in front of him< palm do&n< and is flic#in$ his rin$ fin$er up and do&n occasionally. It

    ecomes ovious< after a &hile< that the e7ecutive has a yo;yo &hile this conversation is ta#in$ place. It no&transforms from an archetypal e7ecutive to an e7ecutive &ho is yo;yoin$. /ore dimensions* a funect provides insi$ht into the personality of the character. nd proaly some morelau$hs. ,pecificity allo&s the audience to see a fuller picture of the characters and the scenes< and uite often is

    &hat they empathiCe &ith and lau$h at. Havin$ the coura$e to create this piece of usiness and environment&ill add $reat sustance and specificity to your character.

    8ven if the improviser created an o>ect that &asnAt an opposite choice< li#e a pointer< it still adds depthto the character. This is the difference et&een &hen o>ect;&or# and environment ecome a crutch to $o to&hen youAre in your head and &hen they ecome po&erful tools for rin$in$ more to a scene or a character.

    If you donAt &ant to use an o>ect< then try a personal character mannerism. Human ein$s rarely >uststand there< arms to the side or in their poc#ets< and tal# at each other the &ay &e often do in improv land.(eople have tic#s< mannerisms< and other ehavioral attriutes that ma#e them more individual. If you can tapinto that ehavior. then your characters &ill ecome more individual< as &ell. Thin# of the e7ecutive tal#in$ ythe elevatorE maye heAs osessed &ith stro#in$ his ri$ht ear. un and peculiar. HeAs not the ole orin$ e7ecEheAs a it uir#y. southern elle &ho does a little &ave after everything she says is far more interestin$ and funthan the typical sittin$;on;porch;&ith;southern;dra&l. udiences love idiosyncrasies in people< and that

    little touch on your part is a door&ay to another part of the character.our commitment to personal o>ects and mannerisms for your characters has you sho& up in &ays

    that you mi$ht not other&ise< rea#s you out of stereotypical patterns< and creates fuller and often funniercharacters. (ractice at home.

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    Personal (ariety of Energy

    ouAre in the middle of a freestyle lon$ form. There is no structure< so characters and scenes do notreturnE each scene you do is rand ne&. ou notice that in the last t&o scenes you did< you &ere shoutin$an$rily and standin$ in the center of the sta$e. It is time for you to do another scene. Which of the follo&in$

    t&o options &ould e est for you*

    M +o a uiet vulnerale scene do&nsta$e ri$ht on one #nee.M ,tand center sta$e and shout an$rily.

    ,tupid uestion6 ouAd e amaaaaaCed at ho& many improvisers repeat these patterns over and overud$ment< soimprovisers $o to the safe and conditioned place.

    In li$ht of this< I su$$est ma#in$ variety a choice &hen you improvise. If you are in a lon$ form orother structure that invites different characters and scenes &ithin a sin$le sho&< #eep a mental note of &hat youdid in the last scene and chan$e it up. If all of the ensemle memers &ere to thin# that &ay< not only &ould it$ive each of them more variety in their performances< ut it &ould also $ive the sho& more variety as a &hole.It also $ives you somethin$ to thin# aout other than< What am I $oin$ to say ne7t6 What should I dono&6 and I &ish the li$hts &ould $o out.

    Here are some elements of variety to #eep li$htly tuc#ed a&ay. If ensemles >ust put emphasis on one ofthese< improvisation &ould e a more layered and entertainin$ e7perience.

    M :ariety of 2motion If you notice that you used a certain emotion t&o times in a ro&< or thatthe sho& has had a presence of one par ticular emotion< ma#e an opposite choice for the ne7t scene.

    M :ariety of :olume It is all too common to see everyone yellin$ in every scene in an improvsho&. /a#e sure you are al&ays loud enou$h to e heard< ut play &ith the volume so that itAs not al&ays at

    the same deciel.

    M :ariety of Staging -entersta$e< facin$ each other an armAs len$th a&ay< turned out to theaudience sli$htly is not the only position in &hich you can improvise a scene. ItAs so refreshin$ to seesomeone come all the &ay do&nsta$e< or do&nsta$e ri$ht< or upsta$e y a &all. It rea#s up the monotonyof tal#y scenes and is another &ay to put improvisers in unfamiliar physical territory. @otice the patterns ofsta$in$ in your sho& and ta#e chances to rea# them up. This $oes for vertical hei$ht as &ell. ,tandin$ andtal#in$ is one choice. ,o are crouchin$< lyin$< cra&lin$< #neelin$< and endin$ over.

    M :ariety of "umers 8very scene does not have to e t&o people< nor does every scene have tohave everyone in it. oo# for patterns of the same numers and enter or e7it a scene accordin$ly.

    M :ariety of Rhythm Improvisation has its o&n special rhythm< especially &hen it is orin$ ashell. Reco$niCe and rehearse different rhythms for you and your ensemle. If a scene has a slo& pace in asho&< come in faster< and vice;versa.

    ll of these thin$s provide for a more entertainin$ improvisa;tional e7perience for your audience.The added e7tra onus is &hat it &ill do for you. "y lettin$ the variety serve the sho&< you &ill e doin$ thin$sthat you normally &ouldnAt do and that stretch your ran$e as an improviser.

    %tartin& %cenesIf you are dyin$ to preconceive somethin$ in an improv scene< preconceive the follo&in$. DWith each

    e7ample< #no& that< as always. youAll &ant to have a stron$ choice or a howehind itF. (racticestartin$ scenesone of the follo&in$ &ays.

    1ou"e$in a scene &ith the &ordyou. ou $ot the map6 ?ood! or ou feelinA all ri$ht6 1ou instantly puts

    you in the same space as your partner. Gsin$you, not only affirms your partner &ith your stron$ choice< ut

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    also immediately ma#es your partner a part of it. This tool is also helpful if your improvisation seems a littledisconnected lately.

    And,tart a scene usin$ the &ord and. The reason is proaly ovious* . . . and no& letAs crac# that safeoy to see therelationship of< say< t&o rothers &here the first line of the scene is< ,orry I couldnAt ma#e it to the funeral. If

    oth improvisers are in a$reement that they are not $oin$ to sell out the scene for lau$hs< that is< play itseriously &ithout >o#in$ it out or ailin$< improvisation reaches a $reater depth.

    n avera$e improv scene lasts three to four minutes. scene &ithout lau$hs can last seven< nevers&ay from &hat itAs aout< and tu$ and pull in every &ay ima$inale to play itself out. I have seen and

    performed in scenes li#e this for over an hour. (racticin$ such scenes lets you #no& that youAre capale ofplayin$ a character and apoint of vie& for far lon$er than you mi$ht have thou$ht. ,ome improvisers tellme that they run out of thin$s to say or do in a scene. Improvise a scene for fifteen minutes &ithout lau$hso#ey appears< it stic#s out li#e a sore thum< a clun#er. I tal#ed aoutactin$ earlierE &ell< this is &here improvisation meets actin$.

    @o& for the punchline* These scenes are some of the funniest IAve ever e7perienced. es< the lau$hs

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    may or may not come as often as they do in other scenes< ut the lau$hs produced are of $reater uality.uality6 es< ualityBa &ord not used very often in improvisation. uality of funny. ,ince the improvisers arenot improvisin$ &ith the mindset of ein$ funny< the funny has $reater depth and uality. If the improvisersare playin$ the scene for real and #eepin$ the sta#es and &hat the scene is aout intact< the lau$hs are moreor$anic to character and relationship. They are not cheap lau$hs< ut more intelli$ent< richer lau$hs* etterlau$hs.

    This #ind of improvisation< thou$h< canAt e achieved &ithout a$reement amon$ the players. Whenone improviser &ants to play this &ay< ut the partner is in a need;to;$et;a;lau$h mode< the partner is $oin$to pull the ru$ out from under the scene every time. The improvisers need to a$ree eforehand that this is the &aytheyAll improvise today< &hether in &or#shop or performance. ou >ust canAt pull out a hi$h;sta#es initiation inyour "uc#et )A u#s improv team and e7pect everyone to hold it up. Improvisation does most often cravefunny< ut it sure could use a dose of the honesty and inte$rity found in improvisin$ scenes &ithout lau$hs.

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    * Advice and +uidelines ,or Improvisers

    Talent

    Why are some more talented than others6 What does it ta#e to prevail in improvisation6 ,houldimprovisation e pursued as a career6

    What do you &ant from improvisation6/y first piece of advice is to e rutally honest &ith yourself aout &hat you &ant. s# yourself &hy

    you are improvisin$.If you &ant to &or# in the cast of a professional improv theater company< say that< to yourself and

    others. If you &ant to e a film star< declare that. If you &ould li#e to improvise as a hoy< then have it ethat. Too many people shroud themselves &ith false intentions &hen it comes to improvisation.

    Improvisation has an artistic presumption that ma#es people thin# that it is &ron$ to use it as a toolfor &ritin$< actin$< or to further a career. While in it< people thin# they should hold it purely as an artisticendeavor< &hen really< in the ac# of their minds< they are thin#in$ of havin$ a i$ career in professional theaterust e

    honest &ith &hat they &ant. @ot only is that sort of falsity annoyin$ and tac#y< it is also a practical inhiitor.Inte$rity is livin$ up to &hat you declare< in an improv scene and in a life. +eclare &hat you honestly&ant< and live that vision fearlessly.

    If you do decide to improvise as a professional endeavor< #no& that it is >ust that* a professionalendeavor. nd li#e all professions< it ta#es time. Improvisation has tan$ile s#ill sets and indicators of pro$ress.

    It ta#es time to attain these s#ills and the amount of time it ta#es is different for everyody. "ut it at leastta#es yearsByears of e7perience< either on sta$e or trainin$ or preferaly oth.

    ou may e the funniest thin$ on the loc#< ut if you donAt have the technical s#ill set to improvise &ithanother person< that talent &ill e forever loc#ed inside< held prisoner y the common improvisation ehavioral

    pitfalls that reside in every e$innin$ improviser. 9ust one of those moves &here you lose po&er could $et youin your head and ruin your scene.

    The Conce&t of Training

    ThereAs such a thin$ as too much trainin$. If you move to a city li#e -hica$o< @e& or#< or osn$eles and enter into the lovely &orld of improvisation< chec# yourself to ma#e sure you are alancin$

    practical performin$ e7perience &ith classes.It is very easy to $et s&ept up into the social and academic arenas and convince yourself that youAre

    ma#in$ pro$ress. Time on sta$e is paramount< and if you donAt have it thereAs only so far you &ill evolve as animprovisational actor. If you find yourself enrollin$ in your second year of improvisation class and have hadlimited performin$ e7perience< my su$$estion is to not enroll in that class.

    Ta#e time off to assess your station in the improv arena. ou &ill discover much and oserve thosearound you in your situation &ith a more po&erful< o>ective eye. Then your decision to ta#e another &or#shop&ill e >ust that< a decision< as opposed to a &ea# reaction to your perception that ta#in$ another class is &hat

    you are supposed to do.Ta#in$ time off &ill also help you asor &hat youAve learned. The improvisation trainin$ &orld is

    saturated &ith varyin$ points ofvie& and different theories< includin$ my o&n. I elieve that none are &ron$and none are ri$ht* 8very approach has helped someone at some time improve their &or#. ThatAs the eauty of

    payin$ for the service of ein$ tau$ht information aout improvisation* ou $et to choose &hat &or#s for you.What doesnAt &or#< assuredly< is attemptin$ to asor and e7ecute all of those contradictory influences inone fell s&oop. It ta#es ein$ selective and usin$ only that &hich helps you. nd often< determinin$ &hat&or#s for you is est achieved &ith an asence of any influence.

    $en an" omen

    'n&ry (en,ome men thin# that ein$ ne$ative all the timeBon sta$e or offBis novel and po&erful. I am here to

    tell you that it is neither.,ometimes men feel they need to roll their eyes< shru$< and #noc# do&n an idea to $ain their

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    position. What they are really e7pressin$ is fear.If you are that $uy &ho doesnAt readily support anotherAs idea< or slices ideas to its efore they even

    reach a sta$e< save yourself some time and stop your ehavior< even if you have to fa#e it. 8ven if you have topretend to e enthusiastically supportive a$ainst your etter >ud$ement< do it. )ver time< if you are at all smartand talented< you &ill realiCe the value of that support and even e$in to ahor your former ehavior &henyou notice it in others.

    "ein$ distant< o>ective< and ne$ative is dime;a;doCen ehaviorB a reaction to fear and a defense a$ainstdoin$ real &or#.

    nd it is< aove all< orin$.

    )ra*y adiesA lot of &omen &ho enter improvisation elieve that if they act a little atty oth onsta$e and< more

    particularly< offsta$e< they will stand out. 8ccentric attriutes &ill set them apart and they will e7cel.+onAt e a craCy lady."e a stron$ &oman instead."e polite and economical offsta$e< and relentless on sta$e. Let the craCy sho& up in the improvisation

    as characters.

    omen versus (enWomen arenAt as funny as men. /en ulldoCe scenes. /en type &omen into suservient domestic

    roles.or &omen* If you find yourself d&ellin$ on or reactin$ to any of these statements< $ive it up. It is

    fruitless and po&erless. s a man< I sometimes find this a difficult conversation to approach< ut I can at leastma#e the follo&in$ oservations.

    M It is a po&er drain for &omen to $ive such eliefs any credence< especially if doin$ soaffects their &or# on sta$e.

    M /en >o#e aout &omen not ein$ as funny and &ill continue to do so. air or not< they do and&ill.

    M /en donAt really elieve that &omen are not as funny< ecause they have enou$h e7amples offunny &omen that they admireto disprove the notion.

    M @o stron$< funny &oman improviser IAve ever &or#ed &ith $ives any thou$ht to any of thoseeliefs and hates &hen other &omen do.

    M If &omen are on a campai$n to chan$e male improviser ehavior< they have aout as$reat a chance as chan$in$ the ehavior of the $uy they are in a relationship &ith.

    M /en rarely $o on sta$e thin#in$< Hey< IAm $oin$ to scre& over this &oman and ulldoCe herscene. /ost often they $o on sta$e &ith their o&n fears and a$$a$e and loo# to support &hoever they areon sta$e &ith in order for the scene to $o &ell and to have a $ood e7perience.

    M /en are laeled as husands as often as &omen are laeled as &ives.M The &ea#er and more insecure the &oman< the more li#ely she is to d&ell on and react to

    such eliefs. ,tron$ &omen improvisers are usy improvisin$ &ith inte$rity< re$ardless of &hat is offered tothem.

    The Perfect )ctor

    "elo& is an e7cerpt from a &e >ournal I &rote in 1%%0 &hile I &as directin$ (aradi$m ost

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    fruition< yet they do it and feel a false sense of productivity &hen they leave the rehearsal. IAve een suc#edinto that &aste;of;time ayss more times than IAm &illin$ to admit.

    ;now what you)re talking aout.If you have to tal#< #no& &hat is ein$ discussed ri$ht no&< and have &hat you have to say e

    relevant to that and that only. IAve &asted so much time as a director &ran$lin$ tan$ents and rin$in$them ac# to the point at hand. IAm pretty $ood at rin$in$ it ac# to &hatAs up< ut I donAt en>oy it andit usually pisses me off.

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    M ou used the time &hile they &ere spea#in$ as an opportunity to thin# aout &hat you &ere$oin$ to say< &hich you thin# is ri$ht and more important.

    @o& &hat that person is thin#in$ aout after ein$ interrupted is He interrupted me

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    endE the sho& &ill lose its po&er and &ill suffer on openin$ ni$ht or the ne7t time it is performed. earn to$ently confront the director as an individual or a $roup. If there is a producer< meet &ith him or her. Jno& thatdiscontent &ith a director or other ensemle memers comes in &aves< so $ive it a little time and see if the &avesusides. It mi$ht. If not< then confrontE donAt meet outside.

    Ask permission to give another improviser a note.If you really must $ive a fello& performer a note< as# their permission first. I noticed somethin$ in that

    last scene< &ould you li#e to hear it6 or /ay I tell you somethin$ I oserved last ni$ht6 s# permission to $ivethe information. Then< e o#ay if the ans&er is no. "e o#ay if they are not in the space to receive yourinformation. Reflect on times &hen people have offered you notes and ho& it made you feel. Respect thatspace and donAt ta#e it personally.

    8on)t give other improvisers notes.

    If you must give a note, don)t, don)t, don)t do it during a show.

    This almost al&ays infuriates the recipient. Wait until an appropriate time< li#e never. )r at least until

    the director has offered notesE the director may cover your issue.Jump on stage with enthusias')If a director says< etAs $et on sta$e

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    a$$ressive and intimidatin$. It &ouldnAt normally e< of course< ut at an audition everythin$ seems amplifiedand constructed to #ill your audition.

    Here are some &ays to ease the pain< not >ust for an improvisa;tional audition< ut for any audition.irst of all< the most important thin$ that you can rememer is this*lthou$h it loo#s li#e the auditors are indifferent to you or maye even donAt appear to &ant you to

    do &ell< the opposite is< in fact< true. They not only &ant you to do &ell< they are dying for you to do &ell.There is nothin$ they &ant more. ThatAs &hy they are there< to find people &ho do &ell< and it mi$ht

    as &ell e you. It $ets so orin$< &atchin$ $roup after $roup improvise poorly< ecause the improvisers areso frea#ed out. nythin$ that appears to e a stron$ choice or a ris# is hi$hly refreshin$. Truly< auditors &antnothin$ more than to see you sho& up &ell.

    nd ho& do you do that6 Well< here are some tips.

    M +onAt acuiesce to the ener$y in the room.The vie in the audition room is usually uite somer and intimidatin$< not the est place to cut loose

    and play. ou must resist the temptation to yield to that ener$y. ?reat improvisation is not possile if youdecide to $ive in to the tense< >ud$mental feelin$ in the room. ?reat improvisation is only possile if you playustcomes &ith the territory. It &ill al&ays e that &ay and you must play. 8asier saidthan done< thatAs for sure.

    M ,nap into a stron$ choice &hen someone says< ?o.DHave you heard this efore6F llo& yourself to thin# all the horrile and hauntin$ thou$hts you &ant a

    &ee#< a day< minutes< seconds< and the nano;second efore you improvise in that audition< ut &hen anauditor $ives the si$nal< leap into a stron$ choice. It &onAt feel li#e thatAs &hat you should do< ut do it.(ierce throu$h the molasses feelin$ of the audition and surprise everyone &ith a stron$< en$a$in$ choice.

    M If you are as#ed to state your name< do so slo&ly &ithout affectation and &ithout tryin$ to $eta lau$h.IAve seen people say< Hi< IAm 9ohn "elushi B >ust #iddin$. 9ust say your name. If you are as#ed to say

    a little somethin$ aout yourself< do so truthfully. +onAt ma#e up stuff aout yourself to $et a lau$h. If thetruthful thin$ is funny< so e it< ut donAt invent anythin$ for a lau$hBit &ill surely e transparent and loo#contrived.

    M ,pea#in$ of 9ohn "elushi< donAt dress li#e him.D/any have.F +ress nicely. The >ac#et;lon$;tie;red;tennis;shoes;>eans thin$ is so very tired< at least

    in my opinion. +ress for a ,unday afternoon sprin$ &eddin$.

    M If you #no& one of your auditors< donAt ac#no&led$e them unless they first ac#no&led$e you.

    Wal#in$ in and sayin$< Hi "o< ho& have you een6 puts "o in an uncomfortale position and&or#s a$ainst you ecause no& "o has to appear uniased. ove all< after you audition< donAt han$ aroundand stri#e up conversations &ith the auditors. ?et out and $o have a eer.

    M ,ho& variety.,ometimes an improv audition is an audition for a $roup that &ill perform oth improv and s#etch

    comedy. ,#etch improv reuires a ran$e of character and emotion< so sho& that in the audition. ou donAtnecessarily have to plan it out< >ust e a&are of it durin$ the audition. If you find yourself playin$ only oneener$y in one scene< s&itch up the character=ener$y for the ne7t. ,o many times IAve heard< ,heAs $ood< utis that all sheAs $ot6 ,ho& that it isnAt all youAve $ot. ,ho& a ran$e for a s#etch comedy audition.

    M Ta#e an actin$ classBor four.

    lot of improvisers come from the /y friends told me I am funny school of performin$ and deemactin$ as unnecessary or pretentious. In a s#etch audition< actin$ s#ills are an asset. /any can improvise on thesame level< so actin$ $ives you a rare ed$e over the other improvisers< especially if youAre as#ed to do a coldreadin$. If you &ant a real ed$e in a s#etch comedy audition< #no& ho& to act.

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    M (repare for an audition y auditionin$.uditionin$ itself is a learned s#ill< and many improvisers >ust donAt have enou$h e7perience in it. n

    auditionin$ actor has many fear thresholds< &hich can only e overcome y e7perience in auditionin$< noty auditionin$ for that one i$ thin$ once a year.

    )ften< people &ho have $otten to the point of not $ivin$ a damn &hether they &or# some&here ornot< ironically< $et hired. The reason for this6 They have eliminated the importance they place on theaudition. ou see< if you posit your audition as crucial for your career and you must $et the >o or you &illdie< you &ill &al# into the audition &ith a hu$e urden. ItAs difficult to find a sense of play &ith that

    a$$a$e. Improvisers &ho arrive at a place in their lives &here it >ust doesnAt matter donAt carry that urden.They leave themselves open to play< &hich has them sho& up as smart and funny. IAm not attemptin$ todiminish the importance of the audition< ut only tryin$ to shed li$ht on one of the many self;saota$in$

    psycholo$ies at &or# efore and durin$ the improv audition.

    Common Patterns

    inally< I &ould li#e to mention some patterns that sho& up in an improv audition. s al&ays< IAm not

    sayin$ donAt do these thin$s< IAm >ust sayin$ that the follo&in$ thin$s often appear in auditions y people &hoseemin$ly thin# that &hat they are doin$ is novel.

    M "e$innin$ at the e$innin$"ecause of fear and measurement< a lot of improv scenes in an audition start &ith unfamiliar

    relationships and e$innin$s of conversations. Thin$s li#e< Hey< &hatAs up6 and ,o< ho&As it $oin$6 indicatet&o characters &ith no familiar past $ettin$ to #no& each other in a stran$e settin$.

    If there is ever a time to assume familiarity &ith your partner on sta$e and start in the middle of a scene D. . . so I finally told her the truth.F< itAs in an improv audition.

    M ,e7Improvisation is the only place on earth &here se7 is orin$ to me< particularly in an audition. ,cenes

    aout se7 in an audition almost al&ays sho& up as a conseuence of fear< and itAs fri$htenin$ly transparent andnot uniue. ?ay< strai$ht< &hateverBthese scenes are usually not so funny and certainly overdone.

    M I loveI mentioned this improv syndrome earlier< in spea#in$ aout >ustifyin$ and ma#in$ assessments in a

    scene. The I love thin$ sho&s up a lot in auditions< once a$ain< out of fear. ,o many scenes start &ith*

    I love playin$ aseall.

    I love #ite flyin$.

    I love ein$ in a factory.

    I love &or#in$ at the Coo.

    I love ta7 time.

    I love tic#et ta#in$.

    I love $oin$ to the $ame &ith you.

    "ut rarely

    I love you.

    M (hysical contactWhether it is stran$e touchin$< #issin$< or hittin$< itAs proaly inappropriate. 8ven if you #no& the

    person you are improvisin$ &ith< the auditors donAt #no& that you #no& them. ou mi$ht e surprised yho& many people slap each other in auditions. ItAs al&ays disconcertin$ for those &atchin$.

    M Hands in poc#ets"asic< ut &orth mentionin$. very typical pattern for people in fear is puttin$ their hands in their

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    poc#ets. @ot only &ill it reinforce your fear< ut it &ill also limit you physically.

    Summary

    These $uidelines are not offered to ma#e you overthin# the audition< ut lofted in the air as somethin$ toli$htly #eep in mind. The last thin$ I &ould &ant is to provide you &ith more donAt do this information and

    put you in your head. Read and for$et and rememer and for$et and play.

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    1- Improvisation and he %econd .aw o, (hermodnamicsIAd li#e to e7plore the ener$y of an improvisational scene as it pertains to the second la& of

    thermodynamics. The follo&in$ is proaly< ut not necessarily< a metaphor. )ften &e spea# of a sceneAsenergy. Is that a &ord &e thro& around to descrie such thin$s as pace< loudness< sta$e presence< and so on. I &ould $uessthat ri$ht no& youAre $ettin$ into the )h my ?od< thereAs an euation and my rain shuts do&n and I hatethis stuff mode. 8uations are li#e that< ut >ust ta#e a loo# at it. Thro& a poodle off a cliff. Thro&in$ a poodleoff a cliff is work. ou apply afor!e to the poodle and it travels a distan!e. In a moment< $ravity< another

    for!e, ta#es over and pulls the poodle to the earth< another distan!e, shatterin$ its manicured ody. Wor# K forceDyour thro&F Q distance Dho& far the ill;fated poodle travelsF. W K fd* easy. ,o energy is the capacity to apply a

    force to somethin$ and move it a distance. 8asy.@o& letAs loo# at the relentless la&s of thermodynamics. The first la& is etter #no&n than the second.

    First (aw of Thermo"ynamics

    2nergy !an never e !reated or destroyed, only transformed.

    This means that there is only so much ener$y in the universe. ou canAt create more and you cannotust &aitin$ forthe release of ener$y necessary to ecome ro#en. 8verythin$ on our planet tends to&ard disorder< includin$you. We fi$ht the second la& every day y remainin$ alive. @o matter &hat &e do< &e tend to&ard disorder as&e $ro& older and older. The second la& is &hy car tires &ear out< ci$arettes urn< and dead poodlesdecompose.

    This is also &hy a perpetual motion machine can never &or#. Throu$hout history< many people havetried to create a machine that< once set in motion< &ill eternally function on its o&n &ithout any additional

    ener$y input. This machine is impossile< ecause the parts of the machine &ill interact &ith one another< or themolecules in the air< creatin$ friction. riction is a form of &aste heat dispersed from the machine< never to erecaptured y it. perpetual motion machine &ill eventually stop &or#in$< &hich is another definition for thesecond la&.

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    )f the first la&< as I mentioned earlier< people often say< ou canAt &in. )f the second la&< peoplesay< ou canAt even rea# even. @o matter &hat the system< a percenta$e of ener$y &ill al&ays e $iven offust succinctly. or e7ample< a scene could e aout notdoin$ somethin$. In that case< not doing that thing is &here you &ant to put your ener$y. Ima$ine a uiet scene&ith t&o people on the thin ice of a pondE if either of the t&o characters move or spea# too loudly< the ice &ill

    rea#. The potential for the i!e to reak is &hat the scene is aout< and all the improvisersA ener$y must $oto&ard that.

    Whatever the scene is aout< once you lose the ener$y of it< you can never $et it ac#. When &e say &elost the energy of the s!ene, &e really did< and it ainAt ever comin$ ac#.

    Thermodynamics means the dynamics of heat< or &hat happens &henever heat ener$y is e7chan$ed.Improvisation involves all different #inds of ener$y e7chan$es< and anytime there is an ener$y e7chan$e inthis universe< the la&s of thermodynamics are lur#in$ in the shado&s. The second la& is >ust &aitin$ for themolecules of the scene to rea#< dispersin$ &aste ener$y into the universe at random< never a$ain to e

    recaptured in that particular form.

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    11 /$ercises to 0o at Home/any resources for teachers and students of improvisation include e7ercises for a classroom

    settin$. ,o I thou$ht IAd provide some improvisation e7ercises you could do in the privacy of your o&n home.IAve done a lot of e7ercises y myself in my home< and almost all of them seem silly at first. ThatAs o#ay.

    fter a &hile you &ill condition yourself to >ust snap into it. D,ound familiar6FThese e7ercises each have their o&n area of focus< ut y merely doing them youAll $ain commitment andinitiation s#ills. Have a it of fun.

    ,ome stron$ advice*

    8o the e'er!ise first, then read its purpose%

    The first set of e7ercises are aout thin#in$ uic#ly and >oltin$ your mind around.

    Da"a $onologue

    @8ada means hoyhorse. +ada &as an early 2'thcentury art and literature movement ased on delieratenonsense. +adaists &anted to destroy art and replace it &ith nothin$. They replaced it &ith somethin$< ut thesomethin$ &as nothin$ ecause it made no sense.F

    aunch into a +adist monolo$ue< one that doesnAt ma#e any sense. oo# at an o>ect in the roomyou are in ri$ht no& and start y sayin$ that o>ects name. s you tal#< try not to stay on any idea too lon$ andto ma#e sense of nothin$. IAll do this ri$ht no& and &rite it as I $o. I see a candle< so*

    -andles are do$s &hen oo#s tell a story of peanuts from heaven. When I &as only seven dollars I &ent to my o&nfactor rush< see6 @o one #no&s my father #ne& his cat &as a $reen in the Te7as to&n of pi$ oy. +o you understand theflypaper >olly feet6 IAll et your des# &heel #no&s me.

    The second you start to ma#e sense< chan$e it up. In my e7ample< after I &rote >olly< I immediatelythou$ht $ianto$s your mind and &a#es

    it up to possiilities you may have not considered. I sometimes do this as IAm &al#in$ to the theater toimprovise. It rin$s to li$ht fun and asurd thou$hts* different tools to associate &ith &hile improvisin$< asopposed to the limited ran$e of associations &e usually have.

    or" )ssociation

    oo# around the room and see an o>ect. ,ay the name of the o>ect out loud< and without pausing,immediately e$in to tal# aout that o>ect. ou could descrie it< or perhaps more favoraly< let it spar# anassociation aout an e7perience youAve had &ith it. fter aout ten seconds< interrupt yourself y sayin$ thename of another o>ect out loud and without pausing start to tal# aout somethin$ associated &ith that ne& o>ect.+o this as lon$ as you li#e< ut for at least ten o>ects.

    Purpose

    This is aout teachin$ yourself that you can literally tal# aout anythin$ ecause you can relate to morethan you may have thou$ht.

    If you &ant to advance this e7ercise< donAt rely on o>ects in the room ut come up &ith disparate &ordsoff the top of your head. s &ith the o>ects< say the &ord out loud De.$.< oceanF< and without pausing launchinto a story or association aout the &ord. ile, puppy, envy< frog gigging, !igar. Really ma#e the &ordsdifferent.

    I as# you not to pause efore you start tal#in$ ecause thatAs a $ood &ay to practice tal#in$ andcatchin$ up &ith yourself. In the e$innin$< people &ill often say the &ord out loud< then repeat the &ord to$ive themselves a uffer< then launch into the association. Try to avoid repeatin$ the &ord.

    /i00erish

    ?ierish is nonsensical< non;8n$lish ale.?losh#a moruue a mot6 Ti#ato& too. @oc#a nu nu.ThatAs $ierish. ou can do it ri$ht no&. +o it. es< no&< start spea#in$ $ierish.?ood.

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    @o& that you can do that< choose a character &ith a particular point of vie&* &hatever you &ant. ,pea#a line of $ierish from that characters ener$y. Then respond< in $ierish< &ith a character &ho has a verydifferent ener$y or point of vie&. @o& you are doin$ a $ierish scene.

    Purpose,pea#in$ in $ierish allo&s us to eliminate the importance &e usually place on &ords. @otice that in

    $ierish< your emotional life is a&a#ened. (ractice a fe& $ierish scenes and youAre practicin$ to put thehow into your improvisation< that is< how someone says somethin$ versus &hat they say.The follo&in$ e7ercises are aout unthin#in$ character creation.

    Solo Character Switches

    (ut a chair in the middle of the room. With a cloc#< &atch< or timer in vie&< e$in a charactermonolo$ue. t the end of thirty seconds< &ithout any pause at all< s&itch the character to somethin$ com;

    pletely different. I say without pauseecause I &ant you to have to catch up &ith your o&n tal#in$ and thro&yourself off $uard. ou can do this for as lon$ as you &ant. I have had students do it for up to an hour &ithsi7ty characters< each a minute lon$.

    variation of this is to &rite do&n character types and put them in a hat< such as Russian dancer orcraCy clo&nust to let you #no&.F

    PurposeThis is aout stretchin$ your character s#ills< alon$ &ith fearlessly initiatin$ scenes. If you can

    condition yourself in this &ay< youAll $et there uic#er &hen you improvise &ith a partner. ?et theremeanin$ estalishin$ a stron$ point of vie& and stron$ initiation.

    Character %nter'iew

    (ut uestions that you mi$ht as# another person in a hat. These uestions may vary from the personal

    to the &or#place variety. ,ome e7amples mi$ht e*Where are you from6 WhatAs your favorite ice cream and &hy6 What is a sad moment in yourchildhood6 What are you readin$ no&6

    Write aout fifteen uestions. fter this< sit in a chair< hat close y< and launch into a charactermonolo$ue. et this $o for aout a minute< then ta#e uestions. (ull a uestion out of the hat and ans&erthe uestion as the character.

    PurposeThis e7ercise &ill help you put yourself on the spot as a character. The more you vary the uestionsect discovered< committin$ to its &ei$ht< te7ture< and use.

    PurposeThis is aout character discovery throu$h committin$ to a detailed environment. ou &ill spend time

    &ith each element of the environment< usin$ the location and o>ects &ithin it as a tool to tell your characterAsstory. I am ad at this e7ercise< ut have seen others have much success &ith it. I hope you are one of them.With the same attention for detail in mind< you could set up infinite scenarios for characters in suseuente7ercises. Have your character arrive at &or#< $o to the par#< and so forth.

    O01ect $onologue

    Write the names of t&enty o>ects on slips of paper and put them in a hat or o&l or uc#et orTupper&are. aunch a character monolo$ue of your choice. 8very once in a &hile< $ra a slip of paper and$lance at the o>ect &ritten on it. -ontinue the character monolo$ue as you inte$rate the o>ect into the scene*not so that you focus on it or tal# aout it< rather that it is incidental or used to accentuate the content of themonolo$ue.

    Purpose/ore practice &ith creatin$ an environment and &ith reachin$ out into the environment &hile

    improvisin$ the scene. common mista#e for e$inners is merely tal#in$ aout the environment or the o>ectthey are holdin$. (ractice in havin$ the environment e incidental is invaluale.

    @e7t are some e7ercises to improve your scenic improvisation.

    Scene

    ,it in a chair in the middle of the room. t any point< launch into a dialo$ue &ith another character.

    Immediately respond as the second character and continue the scene. With your first attempts at this< you mayecome self;conscious and tempted to stop. )vercome this temptation y timin$ yourself and ma#in$yourself continue for thirty seconds. s you practice< the len$th of time youAre comfortale &ith may increase.

    This e7ercise is easier if you ma#e the t&o characters as distinct as possile. Whether or not youAd li#eto physically shift your ody durin$ this dialo$ue is up to youE if it helps you< $o for it. I thin# of this e7ercise asa vocal;mind;momentum thin$.

    PurposeThis e7ercise challen$es you to #eep t&o alls in the air at once. t first< the e7ercise tends to rin$

    aout simple uestion=ans&er scenes. s you practice< your scenes should $et more comple7< $ivin$ eachcharacter a distinct point of vie&. In improvisin$ a re$ular scene &ith t&o improvisers< itAs temptin$< if not

    proale< for one improviser to thin# of &hat to say ne7t &hile the other is tal#in$. While this is ofteninevitale and not even ad or &ron$< ta#in$ on oth of the characters< as this e7ercise forces you to do< allo&s

    you to #no& the &orld of truly ein$ in the moment. ItAs $reat to #no& that you can do that.

    Scene with ,motional Shift

    This e7ercise is the same as the previous one< ut each character has a different emotional ase. )necharacter mi$ht e an$ry< the other $iddy. (ractice playin$ the e7tremes of emotions< as &ell as suduede7pressions of emotions. ,ome improvisers &il